Moscow Rules (Gabriel Allon Book 8)

While other authors of pop thrillers seem to have come off the rails in recent works, reigning master of espionage fiction Daniel Silva is beginning to make it look like he doesn't know how to write a bad book. He's back with another tale of Israeli operative Gabriel Allon that is as relevant to current events as it is entertaining - a non-stop adrenaline rush of the politics of deceit and terrorism, of violence and honor. As usual, Silva's themes are simple: Annon's unflinching loyalty to the survival of Israel on one side, opposed in this case by loyalty to only greed in the form of Ivan Kharkov, a shadowy arms dealer of the "new" Russia, a fictional character based loosely on a real "merchant of death" recently upended by allied intelligence forces."Moscow Rules" rings true to current events like all of the author's previous works, and the picture he paints of post-Soviet Russia is indeed scary. Many of the Russian mobsters who ruled during the chaotic 90's following Communism's collapse are still in charge, as are many of the old Soviet guard, only now with respectable jobs and respectable titles holding high places in commerce and government. While the names of the organizations and political parties may have changed, there is little doubt that the new state police, the FSB, has reinstated the brutal principles and principals of the treacherous KGB, while the new National Party's oppressive control of the people is as repressively effective as Khrushchev or Brezhnev - or Lenin or Stalin - could ever have dreamed. It is a land where Russian oil and Russian weapons are making a new class of billionaires, and at least in the case of weapons, where there is little discrimination as to the hands in which the weapons end up. And when a Russian journalist and his editor are murdered after uncovering a Kharkov arms sale to al-Qaeda, Allon is summoned back from his convalescence and honeymoon to thwart the deal.As expected, the stoic Allon faces down gangsters and criminals while building alliances with familiar faces and cooking up intricate schemes making "Mission Impossible" look about as complicated as an episode of "Friends". Allon moves from cliff hanger to cliff hanger, serving as a punching bag for Russian thugs in between. If there is anything to criticize in this well-researched thrill fest, it the similarity in plot and format to "The Messenger" - substitute "Moscow's" Kharkov for "Servant's" Saudi billionaire and you pretty much get the idea - right down to the supporting cast. Buy hey, the formula works - exceedingly well - so why change it? Like all of Silva's tales, while it is not difficult to predict the finish, it is also predicable that the magnitude of the geo-political problems that Silva illuminates will leave you with a lingering and uncomfortable feeling of fear and frustration - the realization that it will take at least a legion of Gabriel Allons to calm these troubled Middle Eastern waters of today.

We have no trouble spotting the bad guy in this book: Ivan Kharkov is ex-KGB and is now engaged in supplying weapons to the absolutely wrong countries. In short order, Israeli foreign intelligent agent Gabriel Allon is on the hunt for Kharkov. Allon’s travels take him to various countries such as Italy, France, Russia and the American capitol. Author Silva has a keen appreciation of the different cities visited by Allon, his fellow agents and the unsavory associates of Kharkov; he paints some very attractive pictures with his words while also making sure the plot moves ahead smoothly. Ivan Kharkov has a wife, Elena, and two small children. He’s also carrying on an affair with another Russian woman and hasn’t much interest these days in Elena. But watching out for his children is another matter entirely. Elena’s hoodlum bodyguards are looking after Ivan’s family with two missions: making sure Elena behaves herself and that no harm comes to his children. Allon’s mission is to gain detailed information on Kharkov’s subversive dealings and he starts by conjuring up a meeting with Elena. She’s both an art collector and expert so Allon makes sure that a painting which he has worked on comes to Elena’s attention. They meet and are soon linked together in an attempt for Elena to retrieve sensitive information from her Moscow apartment. What could possibly go wrong? In a word, plenty. The plot builds steadily and you’ll have a hard time putting it down until you reach the exciting ending. All things considered, I think it’s one of the best Silva novels that I’ve read. A comment about Silva’s writing: One of the rules for writers is not to draw attention to the writing itself but, in this particular book, I couldn’t help but notice. The scene is Geneva, Switzerland, and Silva remarks that travelers who approach Geneva by train from Zurich are frequently so overcome by its beauty that they hurl their return tickets out the window and vow never to leave again. He then gives us Allon’s thoughts on Geneva: he found it to be a charming but intensely boring city. Once a place of Calvinistic fervor but finance was now the city’s only religion, and bankers and moneymen were its new priests and archbishops. Nevertheless, Silva paints quite a nice word picture.

I became an admirer of Daniel Silva and Gabriel Allon several months ago, after reading  The Fallen Angel  and a number of his earlier books. They were all gripping tales of the clandestine activities of various Western (predominantly Israeli) secret service organisations and the devious ruthlessness of various State and terror organisations.I'd initially downloaded  The Defector  onto my Kindle but a quick check on the reviews suggested it would be good idea if I read `Moscow Rules' first. Although `Moscow Rules' is a complete story with a taut ending `The Defector' apparently follows on seamlessly - same good guys, same bad guys.In `Moscow Rules' Daniel Silva has given us a first-class thriller that's extremely difficult to put down. As always, the characters of Gabriel Allon and his colleagues in Israeli intelligence continue to develop seamlessly - and I strongly suspect that, before long, the remainder of the Gabriel Allon books will have found their way onto my bookshelf and Kindle.There were a couple of points in `Moscow Rules' that jarred slightly - almost enough to affect that five star rating. I felt the appearance, towards the end of the book, of a senior Russian FSB officer could have been handled more smoothly but, as I've subsequently discovered, he plays an important role in `The Defector'. The ease with which a major telephone system was brought to its knees seemed, at first, slightly unbelievable. But, in the concluding Acknowledgements section, Daniel Silva explains that a former member of the United States National Security Council staff had told him just how easily it could be accomplished...Read and enjoy. The Fallen Angel The Defector

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the previous Daniel Silva Gabriel Allon books so buying this was an easy decision to make.There is a danger that when authors write books with exactly the same characters in each that the characters become "stale" and almost taken for granted. It's a bit like the author is too lazy to move them on. However I think that Daniel Silva manages to successfully evolve his characters in each book, so that reading the next is always a pleasure. It's a bit like wearing your favourite comfortable shoes; you know they fit and that you enjoy wearing them.In the book Gabriel Allon is drafted from his honeymoon to meet a Russian journalist who is investigating arms sales to a terrorist group. After a while Gabriel and his colleagues realise that the person leaking information on the arms sales is the wife of the Russian arms trader himself. They need to come up with a plot to be able to speak privately to her and it will come as no surprise to Daniel Silva fans that the way they do this is through art. Needless to say the good guys win in the end but there are plenty of twists and turns along the way.The descriptions of the mega wealthy Russians' lives seem very accurate and the book is very well researched. The author has clearly been to the places he writes about which sadly seems to be quite rare these days.The plot is exciting and credible and it took me just over a day to read this.Why only 4 stars, it is a good book but not brilliant enough for 5 stars with my scoring!

I am gradually going through all the Daniel Silver books and what a delight they are, but I think I may be the only person in the UK to have discovered him. Thank goodness Amazon have them because most bookshops do not stock more than one and I really don't know why. He is a far better writer than most of the American novelist we get and is certainly on a par with Grisham, Grighton etc and reminds me of Follett, Deighton and lately Fiddimore. I really enjoyed this one, but then I have enjoyed them all, difficult to put down. He deserves a gold, let alone silver!

My first entry into Silva's books and whilst it won't be my last, this book was ideal beach reading. An interesting hero with a backstory that adds colour; a dated plot today and overly long. Nevertheless, Allon the picture-restoring hero, has drawn me into additional books.

once again danial silva doesn,t disapoint me , although this was written ages ago and i have only just caught up with it its still a cracker of s read